A inventive computer-implemented dual graphical user interface system having a dual graphical user interface program executable to segregate a patient's medical record into two distinct interacting parts which correspond with the use of a first graphical user interface and a second graphical user interface correspondingly segregated in a first image display area and a second image display area. The first graphical user interface interactive with a user allows viewing of the cumulative electronic medical record of one or more patients and the second graphical user interface interactive with the user allows entry of information into the electronic medical record of one or more patients. The first and second graphical user interfaces allow independent user interaction while interoperably connected to update the first graphical user interface with patient data entered into the second graphical user interface.
Currently available electronic medical record systems have significant shortcomings as it pertains to providing an efficient, intuitive electronic substitution for paper records of patient information. Numerous accounts, from popular media to medical publications, describe the myriad of ways in which electronic medical record implementation has been credited with losses in revenue for medical practices and healthcare professionals not only due to costly implementation, but also due to substantially decreased numbers of patient visits caused by inefficient and cumbersome electronic medical record keeping. Government mandates designed to create universal adoption of electronic medical records throughout the United States have imposed unrealistic deadlines on medical practices, with financial penalties for failing to comply. Medical healthcare professionals may be experiencing increased symptoms of burnout, career dissatisfaction, and even early retirement, secondary to the added demands of electronic medical record implementation.
Now referring primarily to FIG. 1, an illustrative example of a conventional electronic medical records graphical user interface (1) is shown in which a patient encounter template (2) opened by user interaction may fill substantially the entire display surface (3), and a patient history window (4) opened by user interaction may fill the remaining portion of the display surface (3). The patient history window (4) may display past patient encounters (5) in the form of a patent history list (6) in which each past patient encounter (5) has only a date identifier (7) and a time identifier (8). This conventional form of a patient history window (4) may be without an identifier or description as to what the past patient encounter (5) related to, such as a telephone call identifier or an office visit identifier. Furthermore, the conventional patient history window (4) does not include any information relating to medical history, medical diagnoses, medications, or otherwise.
Now referring primarily to FIG. 2, in the same illustrative example of a conventional electronic medical records graphical user interface (1), a first patient history template Sep. 28, 2012 10:42 AM (9) and a second patient history template Dec. 15, 2012 11:02 AM (10) have by user interaction been opened. Both the first patient history template Sep. 28, 2012 10:42 AM (9) and the second patient history template Dec. 15, 2012 11:02 AM (10) overlay the present encounter template (11) each filling substantially the entire display surface (3) with the patient history window (4) filling the remaining portion of the display surface (3). This illustrates a disadvantage of conventional electronic medical records graphical user interfaces (1), in that the user cannot view and make entries to the patient encounter template (2) without first performing various interactions in the conventional electronic medical records graphical user interface (1) in order to close or otherwise remove the overlying first and second patient history templates (9)(10).
Now referring primarily to FIG. 3, which shows an illustrative example of a conventional electronic medical records graphical use interface (1) which by user interaction a patient demographics window (12) has been opened to fill a right side portion of the display surface (3). By user interaction in the patient demographics window (12), a patient demographics template (13) can be opened to overlay the patient encounter window (5), and in the first instance, resulting in the same disadvantage above described in which the user cannot view and make entries to the patient encounter template (2) without first closing the overlaying patient demographics template (13). Additionally, in the instant example, the patient demographics template (13) cannot be viewed by the user in the entirety because the display area of the patient demographics template (13) exceeds the display area of the display surface (3). The user must further interact with the conventional electronic medical records graphical user interface (1), in this example a scroll bar (14), to view other portions of the patient demographics template (13). Additionally, in this example, the user may have opened the patient demographics template (13) for the purpose of obtaining a telephone number (15) to communicate with the patient; however, there is no provision in the patient demographics template (13) to document information relevant to telephone communication with the patient. In order to document the telephone communication, the patient demographics template (13) must be closed and another template in the patient record must be opened.